I'm Going to the
Olympics! (mid August)
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| First Beach at La Push |
So if you are going to the Olympics you need to be properly
energized. Therefore I stopped at Poulsbohemian Cafe for coffee and a bagel
while enjoying both them and a wonderful view of Puget's Sound before entering Olympic National Park (www.nps.gov/olym). After viewing
their 25 minute introductory movie, among other things it gives you a
sense of how large the park is and that it is one of the most diverse
environments on Earth. Being late afternoon I decided to head west into the
park and find a place to stay for the night. Along the way I stopped to pick up
a hitchhiker. Just prior to opening the door, I made sure my knife was within
reach, the shotgun was loaded, the 9mm cocked and the ejection seat button
primed, just in case this 90 lb senior Native American was intent on doing me
harm.
I asked Jill where she was headed and she said home to La
Push which is a reservation on the coast and where most of the "Twilight" series is based out of. It was a good 50 miles away and about
40 miles farther than I was planning on driving that evening, but then life has
a way of throwing curves at you. So along the way we got to know each other, I
decided to take her all way home and somewhere along the way she adopted me as
extended family and opened up her home and life to me. So after giving me the
tour of the reservation, which took all of about 2 minutes, we parked at her
home across from the town's west coast marina and had a few beers while
listening to Bob Marley and watching the sun set on the near off shore islands
where many of the tribe's elders are buried.
Later I met her daughter while watching movies on the couch
she offered me for the night. And a little later as I returned from the
bathroom I found her asleep on that very same couch looking snug and content
with my pillow and blanket. So I wound up sleeping in van after all, but Jill
made it up to me the next morning with a delicious hot breakfast of fresh
Halibut, home fries and coffee!
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| Mora Beach |
She told me to stay as long as I like and when I hinted that
I would probably be moving on she replied to "just do your thing". So my first thing to do was sit at First Beach on the "Res" and watch the boats come and go for
a while. After a spell I headed south to 3rd Beach and eventually drove around
to Mora Beach to spend a foggy night on the Pacific North West shore.
Heading east the next morning I made my way back into the
main part of the park and visited Hurricane Ridge. It was foggy, overcast and a bit
drizzly along the way, which is not unusual for this area, but it was enough to
dissuade me from the bike ride I was planning and cause me to wonder if I would be able to see anything. However, as I climbed in
altitude I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted with clear skies and views of
Mount Olympus. From there I shot photos until the fog rolled in and with it
plummeting temperatures.
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| Mt. Olympus Sunset |
The following morning on the way down I had to pull over for
what seemed like the Tour de France. Gaggles of weekend road cyclists eager to
descend at a faster pace than Mage and I were willing to dare while sipping my
mornings cup of joe.
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| Bainbridge Museum Art |
My next stop was Bainbridge Island on the west side of Puget
Sound. I had gotten wind that they had recently opened there own art museum
featuring the wares of the Pacific Northwest Artists and decided to have a
look. Overall I thought it a lovely little museum. The artistic media is very varied
and they even have a children's museum. Something for everyone really. I
suggest going if you are in the area and have an hour or two. If you have a little more time you might
also consider checking out the adult museum as well! ;p
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| Bainbridge Harbor Trail Sculpture |
To ruminate on the art I followed the museum visit up with a
stroll along the Bainbridge Harbor Water Trail while I killed some time before
meeting up with an area meditation group. Afterwards, I ventured into Fay State
Park on the shore of Puget Sound to spend a quiet evening with views of the
Seattle skyline and the sounds of gently lapping waves. I guess I get a bonus
point for helping a couple of young ladies set up their tent. Although, you
probably have to deduct that point for watching them struggle for 30 minutes
before stepping in to help! I probably should have offered to help sooner, but today
with the whole "equality thing" I find it tough to judge the timing
in such instances.
Why do we make life so complicated?..........
For Photos and Videos please check out the following links:
Facebook (A sampling
before someday posting to my Photography website)
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